Production and packaging of teat dilators



March 8, 1932. H. w. NAYLoR 1,849,015

PRODUCTION AND PACKAGING OF TEAT DILATORS Filed M arch '7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 i I i 1 i ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ./W/I/Wz ATTORNEY H. W. NAYLOR PRODUCTION AND PACKAGING OF TEAT DILATORS Filed March 7, 1930 @Illllll March` 8, 1932.

Patented Mar. 8, 1932 STATES HOWARD W. NAYLOR, OE MORRIS, VNEVVYORK n PRODUCTION Ann PACKAGING-*or rEAr DILATOLRS Application led March 7,

The invention relates to the production and packaging of teat dilators. A

The use of dilators constructed of rubber, wax, wood, fiber and other similar or composite material of hard or refractory nature is immediately or eventually harmful because they do not bend with the teat and therefore tend to break, puncture or tear it, or tend irritate the canal; and7 inasmuch as 10 they serve to carry little or no medication into the teat they have 4about the same action on the muscles thereof as the old style hard rubber or lead teat plugs. In short, they are not conducive to normal expansion and contraction of the teat muscles, but operate'to stretch the muscles and to render them lax. This is particularly true of the round muscle at the end of the teat which practically becomes paralyzed in open position, its elasticitv having been destroyed.

Cbjects of the invention are to provide a dilator which shall be flexible throughout its effective length and capable of bending with the teat; to provide a dilator which shallbe soft and conformable and completely responsive to normal contraction and expansion of the teat muscles; to provide a dilator which shall be constructed and adapted throughout its effective length either vfor localized zone dilation or for full dilation; to provide a dilater capable of delivering an adequate amount of medication or ointment to remote effected part-s; to provide a dilator whose effective length may be appreci ably increased in emergency: and to provide for storingV and packing the dilators under aseptic conditions.

The nature or characteristic features and the scope of the invention more readily will be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein Figure l is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the improved dilator.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of an eXtensible dilator.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the package.

Fig. 4 is a diagram or layout of the methstandard dilators for a purpose hereinafter other material suitable for the purpose, and 90 1930. semi NO. 434,175.,

od or practice involved in producingand storing the dilators.

In the practicefof theV invention, and with reference to the diagram, Fig. 4, strands of copper, aluminum or other ductile metal wire 5 are delivered from reels 6 and 7 to a'point 8 where they are intertwisted with cotton slivers or other soft absorbent fibrous material 9, the effect of which is to establish a flexible ork bendable core-.10 of not unlike cable form and between the strands of which the cotton slivers or'other soft brous material are secured so that their ends are directed radiallyof the core andy collectively provide a spiral duct or channel 11 along the surface. The merit of the coiled or sinuous structure whereby the surface channel or groove is established is that it affords full play for localized or zone dilation or for full area dilation without interference with normal expansion and contraction of the teat muscles, and that it affords positive means for conducting an adequate amount of medication or ointment to remote eected parts. In ordinary forms of dilators the medication or ointment would be stripped from the dilator before reaching remote effected parts. Stripping may not occur with the improved dilator and, moreover, the sinuous groove or channel l1 insures thorough saturation of the soft dilating sheath or covering with application material, such as medication or ointment. f

The flexible core covered with soft conformable non-irritating dilating material yas described is then severed into appropriate lengths 12 which may correspond to standard length (to produce the article Fig. l) or which .may exceed the normal length of referred to. 'Ihe blanks l2 are next provided with tips 18 and limit stops or handles 14. 'Ihe composition forming the tip and stop elements may be beeswax, bakelite or any which by preference can be molded to place.

- The dilators are then bent or doubled upon themselves so that their handle portions are directed towards their tips. The location of the bend 15 is such as to establish a dilator 16 of normal or standard length. It sometimes happens, however, that greater length is required to meet a particular exigency and this can be satisfied quickly and efficiently by the operative by simple manipulation making for the return of the bent portion to the axial plane of the dilator thereby appreciably increasing the effective length of the latter.

The finished dilators are then suitably steriliized and packed. Vhile the packing'may be accomplished in various ways, the novel form of the dilator readily lends itself to the preferred method of packaging which is marginally to support the dilators by means of their return bends on the upstanding rim 17 of the storing receptacle 18. The latter contains the application material such as a sterile bath, medication or ointment 19 and it will be understood that the tips and major portions of the dilators are always immersed in the bath or ointment and, hence, saturated therewith so that upon removal they are ready for instant use. The overhanging portions or return bends of the dilators are protected in a dry state by the outer receptacle 20 and its complemental cover 21. The dilator carrier or inner receptacle 18 is in spaced relation with the external casing or main receptacle 20, the space being closed by an inwardly turned flange 22 impinging upon the side wall of the inner receptacle to provide an insulating area 23 to protect the contents of the well or inner receptacle from deleterious action of heat or cold.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, is:

1. A soft conformable dilating sheath comprising slivers of absorbent material fixed to the core in radially directed pile order of arrangement and deiining throughout its length a surface groove or channel for the reception of application material.

2. A dilator embodying a core, and a sheath of soft yielding` material responsive to normal contraction and expansion of teat muscles, said core being flexible the length of the sheath and having relatively stiff tip and handle portions, and said sheath having a spirally directed groove for the carriage of application material.

3. The method of making articles such as specified, which consisting in twisting strands of ductile metal and soft fibrous material to provide a bendable core and a radially conformable sheath, the fibrous material being bound to the lnetal intermediate the ends of its slivers so that it is in pile order of arrangement spiralwise of its length and provides throughout its length a surface groove or channel for the reception of application material.

4. A dilator embodying a flexible core, and a dilating covering of soft yielding material arranged to provide a spiral groove extending throughout the length of such material. 

